Al Nassr boss Jorge Jesus joins Cristiano Ronaldo in calling for calm as last-gasp goalkeeping blunder delays Saudi title celebrations [video] | OneFootball

Jorge Jesus' side were denied late on [Getty Images]

Al Nassr 1-1 Al Hilal 

Al Nassr were seconds from celebrating the Saudi Arabian Pro League title on Tuesday evening, but an incredible late error by goalkeeper Bento means Jorge Jesus and Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait to secure the long-awaited trophy.

The Riyadh side hosted rivals Al Hilal at Al-Awwal Park knowing that a victory would clinch a first league title in seven years – and the first of the Ronaldo era – while anything less could see things decided on the final day of the season next weekend.

The night appeared to be going to plan with Al Nassr leading 1-0 through Mohamed Simakan’s first-half goal, as the clock ticked into injury time at the end of 90 minutes. However, with just thirty seconds left of 8 minutes of stoppage time, Al Hilal launched a throw into the box, which drew a calamitous error by Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento, allowing the ball to end up in the Brazilian's own net.

The draw for Al Hilal keeps them in the title reckoning, with the gap between themselves and the top remaining at five points with one game in-hand. Should Al Hilal win their extra game this weekend against Al Fayha, they would go into the final day just two points behind Al Nassr and still in contention to seize on any more slip-ups.

The late equaliser was a bittee blow to Al Nassr, who were just moments from celebrations with Portugal manager Roberto Martínez watching on from the stands. Captain and top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been substituted a few minutes earlier, cut a dejected figure on the bench and swiftly left pitchside in frustration.

Al Nassr will host relegation battlers Damac next weekend hoping to finally confirm themselves as Saudi Arabian champions. Before that, Jorge Jesus’ men have the final of the Champions League 2 – Asia's second continental competition – this weekend, where they face Japanese side Gamba Osaka on home turf at Al-Awwal Park.

Draw difficult to accept - Jesus

"First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone on the tactical quality shown during the game, the atmosphere in the stadium, and the presence of the public, which created a true spectacle of football in every sense of the word,” Jorge Jesus said in his post-match media duties.

“The last opportunity of the game prevented us from celebrating the championship title today, but we still have one more game at home to become champions. Football always gives us another opportunity, and we firmly believe that we will achieve victory.

“Our focus now is on recovery. We have the AFC Champions League 2 final on Saturday, and today we noticed signs of fatigue in several players. The game was demanding, and the weather was hot, so we will work to prepare the team in the best possible way for the next match.

“I told the fans that we still have a game at our stadium to win the league title, and naturally, everyone wants to be champions when there is only one game left. It is difficult for us to accept the draw because we wanted to secure the title today, but, God willing, Al Nassr will achieve victory against Damac.

“We also cannot forget that we have the Champions League 2 final before this, and I'm a little concerned because several players are suffering from fatigue.

“This setback will not affect the players. Perhaps only during the first few hours, but the team knows how to handle moments like this. The goal came as a result of a clash between Bento and Martínez, without any intervention from the Al Hilal players, but situations like this are frequent in football."

For his part, Ronaldo encouraged a positive attitude, with the next two weekends providing the chance for both continental and domestic glory for Al Nassr, who are the third most successful side in the history of the Saudi Pro League with 10 title wins.

"The dream is close,” Ronaldo wrote on social media.

“Heads up, we have one more step to take! Thank you all for the incredible support tonight.”